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Marc L. Goldberg
There are a number of ways to grow a small business. Harnessing social media in addition to traditional forms of marketing communication is a 21st-century solution to building brand awareness and attracting customers to your front door.
That front door might be a retail establishment on Main Street or your website if your business is an online marketer.
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Learning Revolution advises, “content marketing adds value to your online posts, driving revenue and increasing your influence without breaking the bank.” Deadrite Park created a wisdom tree to demonstrate how to use content marketing to generate prospects and stay top of mind with current customers.
Have a plan. The first step is to create a social media plan that defines your objectives and what tools are necessary to implement the plan. You might have to get advice from a social media specialist, but a plan comes before action.
Use Pinterest to demonstrate knowledge. Start a company board and create pins that position you as a knowledge leader in your segment.
Create webinars. Another way to share knowledge and demonstrate leadership is to plan and conduct online webinars. It is a simple way to generate leads.
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Press Releases add credibility. Press releases for traditional daily newspapers, weekly community press and social media give the business reach they cannot get with advertising since releases have a degree of credibility that advertising or promotional tactics do not.
Update your website. Keeping your website up-to-date is critical. If it looks dated with old information, buyers will click on the next competitor. Keep your blogs up-to-date. Blogs are important since they provide knowledge and guidance that builds brand recognition.
Keep it short. Not all messages need to be New York Times length, i.e., 4,000 words. In order to capture the attention of your audience, you need to keep it short, i.e., 500-1,000 words. Snackable size so they don’t get tired of reading.
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Use landing pages for special events or promotions. When you have a special event or product line extension that will help grow your business, create a special landing page for its promotion. If you are planning an event, e.g., your 25th year in business, use a landing page to differentiate the event from your normal business.
Use Facebook to engage your followers in dialogue. This is a great vehicle to share information and knowledge. It is also a place to put a face on your business. You, your team, your business location or your team at work in the field or at a trade event.
Linkedin is business-to-business. This site helps you connect with and grow your professional network. It is a lead generation vehicle.
Twitter is here and now. You can share your up-to-date information with current followers and potential followers who can become customers. Learning how to use hashtags can help spread the news in the Twitter network.
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Video is the best way to deliver your messages. Using YouTube can deliver your message to new and existing customers better than any static message. Why? It captures and maintains viewer attention longer. Showing sells. Show how you perform your work generates greater understanding and believability.
Google Business Profile: Having your business profile is the first stop on a buyer’s journey since it gives them the information they need instantly. Who, what, where and reviews that drive visitors to your website where your call-to-action can be engaged.
Email marketing is not dead. With all the attention on social media don’t forget to have a continuous and regular stream of contact using email marketing. You aren’t a pest when you are delivering valued information that leads to an action by the buyer. When you apply automated marketing tools to your systems it makes communicating effortless.
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Podcasting engages and retains. Over onethird of American adults listened to a podcast last month and they tend to be younger, wealthier and better educated than the average population. (Learning Revolution) This tool is not for everyone, but you can educate yourself to become a podcaster.
Don’t forget analytics. You want to focus on results. We started with having a plan. You end with analytics and refocusing if necessary. Why did you create content? What was its purpose? Did it reach the intended audience? How well did each of the tactics you chose work in reaching your target audience and having them take your call to action? Metrics is the other side of the objectives equation. Without understanding if and how the tactics work, they are just a financial drain on your business. Measure everything.
Contributed by: Marc L. Goldberg, Certified Mentor, www.capecod.score.org, 508-755-4884. capecodscore@scorevolunteer.org. Source: “7 Great Ways to Create a Healthy Work Environment”, Catilin Nobes, 5/18/21, Achievers.
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